Her mother’s face grew angrier.
“Do you even know what you’re saying? You’re bringing shame to both of you’re families!”
Joy didn’t know want was more important to her mother anymore. Her happiness, or the family’s honor? Today she realized it was the latter. Her mother could care less about what happened to her as long as she didn’t shame the family name.
She was so grateful for Bryce’s support and what he said. If he hadn’t been with her, Joy would surely have crumbled. He was the glue keeping her together.
“Dad?” Joy addressed her father, her voice breaking. “Are you—is that what you think as well? That I should kill this child?”
Her father didn’t respond at first before he sighed.
“Joy, we’ve let you do whatever you wanted. We let you pursue your cooking fantasy and we let you move in with your boyfriend,” he started at last. “But this is one thing I don’t think we can let you do. If abortion isn’t an option, then give it up for adoption. At any rate, we can’t let it be raised by an unmarried couple. What will people think?”
Joy bit her bottom lip tightly, finally letting her tears fall freely.
“Is that what you care about? The family’s honor? What people will talk about? People who don’t even belong in this conversation?” She wiped her eyes free from tears, but they kept escaping. “I always wondered what was more important to you, but I guess it’s never been me. I wasn’t the son you always wanted. I wasn’t the daughter you tried to turn me into. It took me years to make you accept my goals in life, and that was only because I acted on them behind your back. I knew you wouldn’t have like it. You didn’t. But the least you could have done was support me. And now I’ve fallen in love and am living with the man who does everything he can in order to make me happy. He pushes me ahead of himself, something neither of you have done for me. He accepted this child even though he could have bailed out, choosing me over anything else. We want to raise our baby and you want to snatch this happiness from us?”
Her mother looked like she wanted to say something in retaliation, but at least her father had some dignity to take it to heart.
“We want what’s best for you,” he said gently. “And this isn’t it, Joy. You aren’t ready for it.”
Joy glared at him through her tears.
“You don’t know that!” She exclaimed. “I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions. I didn’t come here to make you accept our child. I didn’t come here seeking your approval and hearing your options over what to do with it. We know what we’re going to do!”
“All right, then,” her mother sighed and for a second, Joy felt like she understood. Joy felt like she’d gotten through her mother. “If that’s the case, then I suppose you’re no longer our daughter.”
Was it possible for her heart to break even more than it already had?
